Method of spinning or twisting.



N0 MODEL.

PATENTED OCT. 4, 1904.

F. W. SAWYER.

METHOD OF SPINNING 0E TWISTING. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7', 1902. RENEWEDAPR. 4, 1904.

7 1/ .Zied'endw w fjy UNITED STATES Patented October 4, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK WENTWORTH SAWYER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO OOCOONSPINNER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

METHOD OF SPINNING OR TWISTING.

'SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,397, dated October4, 1904.

Application filed February '7, 1902. Renewed April 4, 1904;. Serial No.201,594. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WENTWORTH SAWYER, of Boston, county ofSufi'olk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inMethods of Spinning or Twisting, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likenumerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to the art of spinning or twisting material toproduce yarn, thread, twine, and the like; and the invention consists ina novel method of producing the spun or twisted material in adefinitely-wound mass.

The method of producing spun or twisted materialsuch as yarn, thread,and the like forming the subject of this invention involves two steps,of which the first step consists in imparting the twist to the materialand accumulating the spun yarn or twisted material in the form of ahollow coil, and the second step consists in winding the material indefinite form upon a bobbin or other support or core, so'that theproduct is furnished in a form suitable for the handling to which thematerial is to be thereafter subjected or for the subsequent uses towhich the material is to be put as, for example, in the form of a bobbinor cop-tube filled with yarn ready to be introduced into a loom-shuttlefor weaving theyarn into cloth.

By the method forming the subject of the present invention the materialcan be spun or twisted and wound at a far greater rate of productionthan is attainable by the methods heretofore practiced, and the yarn maybe produced of any usual qualityas, for example, of proper twist andquality for warp or of the softer quality commonly required for fillingused in weaving cloth. In the operation of spinning or twistingmaterials involved in the method forming the subject of this inventionthe material to be spun or twisted is fed or supplied to a deliverypoint or guide through which the material passes and from which a shortlength of material extends outwardly, and this short length is rapidlyrevolved around the deliverypoint, and thus the material is twisted. Thecentrifugal force developed in the revolving short length draws thematerial through the delivery-point and outward to the place where theforce for revolving the short length is applied as fast as it is fed tothe said deliverypoint. The material issuing from the delivery point andrevolved about the same is confined within a definitely limited spacesurrounding the delivery-point and is accumulated in the form of ahollow coiled mass on the limiting surface or wall, which may be ahollow cylinder or spinning-chamber constituting the active member ofthe spinning or twisting appliances. The centrifugal force developed inthe short length between the delivery-point and the limitingsurfacedraws the material outward from the delivery-point as fast as it is fedor supplied thereto along a line which is not quite straight, becausethe material lags behind a little by reason of its inertia. The arrivingmaterial is thus laid on the limiting-surface behind the spun material,the outward movement of which has already been stopped by thelimiting-surface. Thus by the efi'ect of centrifugal force and inertiain the revolving short length the spun material is accumulated in theform of a hollow coiled mass in the limited space as fast as thematerial is fed to the delivery-point, said spun material being coiledaround the interior of the confining-wall in the direction opposite tothe direction of revolution around the delivery-point. The accumulatedhollow coiled mass frictionally engages with the limiting-surface, andthus is revolved thereby and maintains the revolving movement of theshort length, whereby the twisting and the coiling of the twistedmatetial as rapidly as it is supplied and twisted are performed.

It has been proposed to spin yarn by means of a rotating hollow chamberor cup, upon the interior of which the spun material would accumulate inthe form of a hollow coil; but this plan has proved inadequate forsuccessful spinning on account of diificulty encountered in theproduction of an apparatus to operate in such manner and because thematerial thus accumulated in the form of a hollow coil could not beremoved from the spinning appliances in condition to be subsequentlyutilized in weaving or for other purposes without involving greater costin time and labor than would compensate for the advantages which mightotherwise pertain to this method of spinning as compared with themethods now generally practiced, in which the material is woundcontinuously or intermittingly in the spinning operation upon a bobbinor into a cop in proper condition for subsequent handling. Thesedifficulties and objections are obviated by the method forming thesubject of the present invention, which includes, in connection with thefirst step above described, the second step, which consists in uncoilingthe accumulated mass of spun or twisted material and in the sameoperation winding it onto a suitable support, core, or bobbin. This ispreferably done during and in consequence of the further rotation of thesaid mass in the same direction as that involved in the spinning ortwisting and collecting operation. Thus the active member of thespinning appliances may be rotated or run without intermission until thetwisting and accumulating operation constituting the first step and thewinding operation constituting the second step of the method forming thesubject of this invention have been performed, the winding operationrequiring a relatively small expenditure of time, so that the product ofthe apparatus is very great.

The winding operation constituting the second step in the method formingthe subject of this invention involves the engaging or catching of thetwisted material at a point between the point of supply of the untwistedmaterial and the point where it is coiled into the hollow mass and thenwinding the spun material onto a support or bobbin while uncoiling itfrom the interiorof the coiled mass. This winding operation may beperformed practically and satisfactorily by introducing abobbin or othersuitable core or support into the void space in the hollow rotating massof spun material, so that said support engages the revolving shortlength of material, whereupon by the continued rotation of the coiledmass the yarn is uncoiled from off the inte rior of the mass and woundonto the bobbin. The feed or supply of the material to the spinningagency is stopped while the winding operation is performed, and in orderto facilitate the removal of the wound mass without breaking thematerial above or near the delivery-point a short length of saidmaterial is taken up or drawn back from the coiled mass. so as to afforda greater length of material between the point of supply and the coiledmass than is required to extend directly from the former to the latter.WV hen the spun material has been uncoiled and wound onto the support,the extra length that was taken up is given out while the wound mass isbeing withdrawn from theposition in which the material was wound uponit, thus enabling the yarn to be broken off at some distance below thedelivery-point to supply the short length to be revolved upon resumingthe spinning operation. Thus the spinning operation can be resumedwithout necessitating any manipulation of the material to properlyengage it with the delivery-point.

The above-described method of spinning or twisting and winding fibrousmaterials has the advantage as compared with ring-spinning now generallyemployed that the yarn itself is subjected to scarcely any stress in thespin,- ning operation, the speed of which is limited only by the speedat which the spinning appliances can be driven. In ringspinning,on theother hand, the force for revolving the traveler and bight of yarninvolved in the spinning operation is transmitted through the yarnitself, which is thus subjected to astress which increases rapidly asthe speed of the spindle increases, and thus limits the rate ofproduction. because when the speed of rotation of the spindle reaches acertain amount the stress upon the yarn is equal to or greater than thetensile strength of the yarn,and consequently the speed of the spindleand rate of production must be kept below this limit in order to avoidtoo frequent breakages of the yarn. In other words, in ring-spinning itis the conditions existing in the yarn that limit the rate of productionand not the speed at which the spindle can be driven asa mechanicalmatter.

The method of spinning and winding the spun material forming the subjectof this invention may be performed by mechanical appliances varyingwidely in details of construction, and I have also invented a practicaland efficient mechanical apparatus for carrying out this method in theoperation of spinning, shown as a spinning-frame suitable forproducingcotton yarn ready to be introduced into loom-shuttles to beused as filling in the weaving of cloth, which apparatus forms thesubject of another application for Letters Patent.

Figure 1 illustrates the first step of the method--namely, the operationof twisting the material and collecting the spun or twisted material inthe form of a hollow coil, said figure showing the mass of spun materialin section on a plane through its axis of rotation. Fig. 2 is a viewshowing the operative relation of the spinning agencies in a sectiontransverse to the axis of rotation of the mass of spun material. Figs. 3and i are similar views illustrating the preferred manner of performingthe second step of the method namely, the operation by which the hollowcoiled mass is wound upon a central core or support on which it may beremoved from the spinning agencies. Fig. 5 is a modification showinganother way of performing the second step of the method.

Referring to Fig. 1, the material t to be spun or twisted is fed orsupplied continuously during the spinning operation in any suitablemanner, as by rolls 3, Fig. 3, the material passing from said rolls to adelivery-point 7, which maybe determined by a guide or eye of anysuitable character, the material passing through said point. It is notnecessary that the material should be delivered in a single strand, asillustrated in Fig. 3. It may be supplied as a plurality of strands,which may or may not'come together before they arrive in close proximityto the deliverypoint, as illustrated, for example, in Fig. 1.

. After issuing from said guide or deliverypoint 7 a short length of thematerial, as shown at A0, is drawn outwardly from said delivery-point,and the said short length is revolved rapidly around saiddelivery-point. This carrying or rev'olving of the short length 40,extendingfrom the delivery-point, around said delivery-point may beperformed by. a hollow chamber 5, surrounding the deliverypoint andadapted to be rotated at high speed about an axis substantially at rightangles to the short length 40 of the material being operated upon. Therapid revolution of the short length 40 develops centrifugal forcetherein, causing the material to be drawn from the delivery-point asrapidly as it is supplied or fed thereto, and the rotation also twiststhe material, and with a continuous feed or supply the material iscontinuously twisted and drawn forward through the delivery point,

from which it issues outwardly. The material thus issuing is confined ina definitely-limited space about the delivery-point by the wall of therotating chamber 5, and thus it accumulates on the said wall. Thematerial issuing from the delivery-point lags or hangs back of the pointof engagement with the rotating chamber or coiled mass therein in therevolving movement, as shown in Fig. 2, and thus by the resultant actionof the centrifugal force drawing it outward from the axis of revolutionand of its lagging or following behind the previously-coiled material inthe revolving movement the spun material 9 is laid around the interiorof the limiting-surface in a continuous coil, which is itself rotatedand becomes the limiting surface for the subsequently supplied andtwisted material. By giving the delivery-point a suitable traversemovement in the direction of the axis of rotation of the chamber 5 theconsecutive coils of the spun material are deposited in layers, and themass gradually accumulates in the form of a hollow coil 9, as shown. Asshown in Fig. l, the delivery-point is moving downward or in thedirection of the adjacent arrow, and the material is thus coiledhelically and forms a layer upon the inside of the previously spun andcoiled mass by the joint effect of centrifugal force tending to draw thematerial 40 from the delivery-point outwardly, as shown by the adjacentarrow, Fig. 2, and of the inertia causing the material to hang back inthe direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the chamber ormass indicated by the adjacent arrow in Fig. 2. At the beginning of theoperation, before any of the spun material has accumulated, a free endof the material passing through the guide-eye 7 may be brought in anysuitable manner against the inner surface of the rotating wall orchamber 5, which will engage said free endfrictionally or otherwise andcause it to revolve therewith, and thus to twist the material anddraw itby centrifugal force from the delivery-point to the inner surface of thewall, upon which the material thus spun or twisted will be coiled andwill gradually accumulate and form a hollow mass built up upon the innersurface of the rotating wall, as has been described. The wall thusserves to limit and carry the accumulating material received from thedelivery-point and to preserve the form of the accumulating mass and tomaintain its rotation, so that the twisting and coiling operations mayproceed simultaneously and progressively as the material is fed orsupplied to the delivery-point. The spinning operation may thusproceedun'til a proper amount is accumulated, limited by the size of thechamber. WV hen this amount has been accumulated, as shown in Fig. 3, itmust be withdrawn in order that the spinning and coiling operation maybe repeated, and the second step in the present method consists inwinding the material accumulated in the spinningchamber onto a supportor core in suitable form for the subsequent manipulations to which thematerial is to be subjected or uses to which it is to be put. Thissecond step may be performed by passing a suitable supportinto the voidspace inthe coiled mass and engaging the revolving short length ofmaterial 40 when at or near the end of the coiled mass 9 with the end ofthe support. The support may be a spool or bobbin 16, as shown in Figs.3 and 4, provided at its end with an engaging point 17 to engage therevolving short length. At or before such engagement the feed or supplyof material to the delivery-point should be stopped, and the result willbe that when the short length 40 is engaged, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:,the continued rotation of the coiled mass in the direction of the arrow,Fig. 4, will carry the material around and wind it upon the support 16,the said material uncoiling from the hollow mass in proportion as it iswound upon the supporting spool or bobbin. As the rotation of the coiledmass is very rapid the winding will be performed very quickly, and thefilled support may then be withdrawn from within the hollow chamber andthe spinning or twisting operation resumed. In order to facilitate thewithdrawal of the wound mass without breakage of the material betweenthe point of supply and the wound mass, so that the spinningoperationmay be promptly resumed after the withdrawal of the wound mass, aportion of the material is taken up between the point of supply and theinterior of the coiled mass being drawn back from within the coiledmass, as indicated at 25, Fig. 3, after the feed or supply is stoppedand just before the winding operation begins. When the spun material hasbeen uncoiled and wound upon the bobbin and in the operation ofwithdrawing the wound material from within the hollow chamher, thepreviously-taken-up length of material is given out and by thewithdrawal of the wound material is drawn through the deliverypoint andhollow chamber, so that it may be broken off below the latter and willthus afford the short length to be revolved around the delivery-pointfor resuming the spinning operation, which begins upon the starting ofthe feed or supply of the untwisted material toward the delivery-point.

1n the modification shown in Fig.5 the support upon which the spunmaterial is wound is introduced into the accumulated coil of spunmaterial in the same direction in which the material to be spun entersthe said coiled mass. When this plan is adopted, the support is madehollow, so that the support for the guide-eye and the material beingspun may pass through the said support while the latter is beingintroduced into the void space in the coiled mass preparatory to havingthe latter wound upon it.

1 claim- 1. That improvement in the art or method of spinning ortwisting which consists in the following steps: first, spinning andcollecting the spun material in the form of a hollow rotating coil byprogressively supplying the material to a delivery-point and rapidlyrevolving a short length of said material after passing thedelivery-point about said delivery-point and conlining the materialafter passing the deliverypoint within a limited space around thedelivery-point; and, second, in uncoiling the material from said hollowcoil, and in the same operation winding it onto a bobbin or support.

2. That improvementin the art or method of producing spun or twistedmaterial in a definitely-wound mass which consists of two steps: first,in revolving a short length of the material about a delivery-pointwhereby the required twist is imparted to it, and in coiling the twistedmaterial into a rotating hollow coil as it is fed through thedelivery-point; and, second, in uncoiling said material from theinterior of said hollow coil while its rotation is maintained andwinding it onto a bobbin or support.

3. Thatimprovementin the art or method of spinning or twisting materialwhich consists in the following steps: first, spinning and collectingthe spun material in the form of a hollow coil by progressivelysupplying the material to be spun or twisted to a deliverypoint andrapidly revolving a short length of said material after passing thedelivery-point about said delivery-point, and by confining the materialafter passing the delivery-point within a limited space around thedeliverypoint; and second, in winding said spun and coiled material upona core or support by introducing the core or support into the hollowcoiled rotating mass, and engaging the core with the material,substantially as described.

4. That improvement in the art or method of spinning or twistingmaterial which consists in progressively feeding the material to adelivery-point; rapidly revolving a short length of the material aboutsaid delivery-point, and confining the material within adefinitelylimited space about the delivery-point, whereby said materialis spun or twisted and accumulated in the form of a hollow coiled mass;and rotating said mass, and stopping the feed of the untwisted material,and introducing a core or support in said hollow coiled rotating massand engaging said core with. the material near one end of the coil,whereby the hollow coil is wound upon the outside of the core orsupport, substantially as described.

5. Thatimprovementin the art or method of spinning which consists infeeding or supplying the material to be spun to a guide, and deliveringsaid material thcrethrough to a rotating wall or surface surroundingsaid guide, whereby the material between the guide and wall is revolvedand is drawn laterally from said guide by centrifugal force, and thesupplied material is twisted, and the spun or twisted material afterpassing the guide is confined by said surface and laid in a hollow coilthereon; and in removing the spun material from the surrounding wall byengaging the spun material on its way from the guide to the surroundingwall by a core or support surrounded by the spun material, which by therotation of the latter is wound upon said support, so. that it may beremoved thereon from within the rotating wall, substantially asdescribed. v

6. The art or method of producing spun or twisted material in adefinitely-wound mass, which consists first in spinning and coiling thematerial on the interior of a rotating chamber, and second in windingthe spun coiled material onto a bobbin or other support while thechamber revolves.

7. The art or method of producing spun or twisted material in adefinitely-wound mass, which consists in'first spinning and coiling thematerial on the interior of a rotating chamher, and second, in employingthe further rotation of said chamber to wind the spun coiled materialonto a bobbin or other support introduced into said chamber.

8. The art or method of producing spun or twisted material in adefinitely-wound mass,

which consists in spinning and collecting the mass is Withdrawn from theposition in which IO material into a hollow coiled mass, stopping thematerial Was Wound upon it.

the feed of said material to the spinning In testimony WhereofIhavesigned my name means, taking up a length of material beto thisspecification in the presence of two subtWeen said mass and the feedingmeans, introscribing Witnesses.

ducing a support Within said mass, Winding FREDERICK WENTWORTH SAWYER.the spun material onto said support, and giv- Witnesses:

ing up the length of material theretofore HENRY J. LIYERMORE,

taken up as the support holding the Wound JAs. J. lVIALOlIEY.

